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Tucson is in a beautiful setting, but you really have to be someone that enjoys the desert. What I found alarming with Tucson was it seems to be stuck in the past, with no desire to ever move forward. It's road system is no system at all. It is a very frustrating area to drive in, with only 1 fwy, and long surface streets in terrible shape. The one fwy only skirts the city to the west, and runs north south I-10. The entire city of Tucson and its suburbs to the east, are not served by a fwy at all, just surface streets. Many street are in such poor shape, you wonder how could any city allow this to happen to itself. Many are so bad they are not fit to drive on. Though I believe some have been repaved. It really takes forever to get across town in Tucson. The obvious reason that is very visible with Tucson is lack of revenue coming into the city. It is a very poor city and Tucson does not want to become another Phoenix. You will notice that immediately when talking, to many long time residents. You will notice that and a few other things very quickly.
So again the setting Tucson sits in is just beautiful, surround by mountains on all sides. It's just the stagnant viewpoints of many long time residents, the lack of proper revenue coming into the city. Plus the refusal to live in this day and age with a proper road system, will continually hold Tucson back. These problems are obviously a big part of the reason, Tucson does not attract businesses and employment. Believe me when I say there are people in Tucson that commute to the Phoenix area for employment. They simply cannot find it in Tucson. Phoenix is 110 miles to the north, then add on wherever your going in that huge massive Metro.
If you end up deciding on Tucson. Make sure you visit and make it long enough, that you know you will be comfortable actually living there. Rents are not really all that low, for anyplace you would want to live. Rents are raised very frequently. Like Austin it is a big University Town, which we all know has an impact on rents. So good luck but do make a visit and make sure you know, what your getting into wherever you decide to move to.
As far as jobs, I telecommute so that isn't a problem.
I like that Tucson isn't changing, one of the things I hate about Austin is it changes too fast, the longtime places you enjoy are closed to be replaced by something hipper.
You didn't say anything about COL or your budget. Property taxes in Hawaii are extremely low.
Oh, and as for SoCal (Ventura County), you requested "low traffic"---not a chance in SoCal. Bad traffic is legendary. And there is always a big difference in daytime and nighttime temperatures, another no-no on your list. There is no "high percentage of females," either. Property taxes are set by the price you pay for the property, which is way high. And all the other taxes are very high.
I lived in Tucson for 2 years, have family there. The lack of highway system is very frustrating, as the other poster described. There are some people that want progress and development, but they are outweighed by the majority of people that don't, which are usually long-time residents that are 50+ years old.
Lot's of retirees in Tucson.
It's a blue city in a red state.
A bit of a bohemia culture in some spots.
Gay friendly
Huge bicycle town - El Tour de Tucson is HUGE.
They love their Arizona Wildcat teams.
Great Mexican food and golf
Low wage city, and it shows
Extremely environmentally conscious, like 10 out of 10
In touch with Native American culture
Lame downtown area
Big swings of temps in the elbow seasons...it's a desert. In October it could be 95 in the day and 55 at night. You won't tick that box in Tucson.
Not really sure what kind of single scene it has. Other than university bars, there's not much of a centralized nightlife area. It's spread out like Los Angeles, but far sleepier.
There are worse places to live, but I'd personally only go back (maybe) if I was retired.
You didn't say anything about COL or your budget. Property taxes in Hawaii are extremely low.
Oh, and as for SoCal (Ventura County), you requested "low traffic"---not a chance in SoCal. Bad traffic is legendary. And there is always a big difference in daytime and nighttime temperatures, another no-no on your list. There is no "high percentage of females," either. Property taxes are set by the price you pay for the property, which is way high. And all the other taxes are very high.
I don't mind day to night swings in temperatures, I was referring to the cold fronts that pass here. It was 80 degrees one day and then the next day didn't get out of the 30's. I'm familiar with California's weather and I love it, but the high costs and high traffic make it probably a no-no. I'm looking for the next undiscovered area...
I lived in Tucson for 2 years, have family there. The lack of highway system is very frustrating, as the other poster described. There are some people that want progress and development, but they are outweighed by the majority of people that don't, which are usually long-time residents that are 50+ years old.
Lot's of retirees in Tucson.
It's a blue city in a red state.
A bit of a bohemia culture in some spots.
Gay friendly
Huge bicycle town - El Tour de Tucson is HUGE.
They love their Arizona Wildcat teams.
Great Mexican food and golf
Low wage city, and it shows
Extremely environmentally conscious, like 10 out of 10
In touch with Native American culture
Lame downtown area
Big swings of temps in the elbow seasons...it's a desert. In October it could be 95 in the day and 55 at night. You won't tick that box in Tucson.
Not really sure what kind of single scene it has. Other than university bars, there's not much of a centralized nightlife area. It's spread out like Los Angeles, but far sleepier.
There are worse places to live, but I'd personally only go back (maybe) if I was retired.
To be honest, it sounds like Austin around 20 years ago. What I'm concerned about is the lack of transportation. Austin didn't plan for it and when the population growth hit, traffic became unbearable.
I looked at a google map of Tucson as I've only been there once. It appears the problem is lack of an east west interstate. It appears you'd have to sit at 20 stop lights going across town, maybe more. Sounds like Austin.
I'm 40+ to be a point of reference to you, so not far off from your point of reference of when Tucson starts to appeal to people. Twice divorced, both exes in Texas, I'm kind of ready to get the heck out of dodge.
I wonder if Las Cruces NM would be a good fit, as it fits or comes very close to the population criteria, has NM State University and fits the climate criteria.
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